Talks 'n Tasters at Newport Food Festival

One of last year's great successes was the Talks 'n Tasters stage, where visitors could see chefs and producers close up, taste their offerings and often get hands on experience in making them.

This year there are more sessions and three venues!

Tickets will go on sale on 5th August so here's a preview of these popular sessions.

From a start in an unoccupied stall in the Market Hall the sessions have expanded into a designated area of the Hall, Waterstones in town and the Lamb public house.

In the Market the sessions start at 10 am with Nia Thomas running a Cup Cake session. Love em or hate em there is no doubt that Cup Cakes have been the latest Big Thing and Nia will bring 16 years experience to the session. She also does courses for Newport Community Education so you can find out how to develop your skills as well.

As a huge coffee fan the Coaltown Coffee session on Top Tips for Home Brewed Coffee is a must for me. Scott James started the company and also runs a Barrista School so yu should learn lots and perhaps make that perfect cup of Joe!

Next up is Isla Black of Tasty Bites who brings her Jamaican background to producing some extremely tasty food. Her Jamaican Beef Patty is amazing and one of my favourite snacks at Llanyrafon Manor Market.

For the Wine Lover Neil Cammie offers some insights and the chance to Know your Merlot from your Cabernet in a wine tasting session. Neil is an expert in his field, writing a Western Mail Wine column and his company Fine Wines Direct does what it says on the tin.

Welsh Food Heritage is the subject for Sian Roberts who will show that Wales has a strong food heritage and we do more than Welsh Cakes and Cawl.

Abergavenny based Barry Chantler of Chantler Tea will reprise his very successful Tea Tastings and offer an insight into finding your perfect blend and making a great cuppa.

Finally I will be doing another hands on dough making session where we learn that bread isn't too hard to make, needn't take up all of your day and tasted better than supermarket pap. You get to make your own dough and take it away, with a recipe, to finish at home.

Over in Waterstones, Coaltown Coffee will do a Latte Art demonstration twice during the day so combine these with the Market sessions to seriously up your coffee making skills!

Diane Corister from Honeybunch Cake Company will demonstrate Cake Icing and Decorating.

Lucknam Park chef Luke Woodward will be demonstrating the other Big Thing of recent times Macarons. Dainty little Almond based meringues that come in many colours and flavours.

Nia Thomas runs a Cup Cake icing demo after Luke and I would not be surprised of elements of Nia, Luke and Diane's sessions come together for the final session where Luke will create Afternoon Tea,

The third venue for the Talks 'n Tastings is The Lamb public house which will feature Beer Tastings from 5 local breweries. Gareth from Tiny Rebel, Jamie from Tudor, Martyn from Untapped, Natasha from Rhymney and Simon from Pipes will each showcase their fine ales and beers in tutored tastings.

Tickets for these events, and many are free, are available from the Riverfront Box Office.